Community Arts

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$5,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Dakota Valley Symphony
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
January 2016
End Date
February 2016
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Dakota
Dakota
Project Overview
Community Arts
Project Details
Funding for the Gala 30th Anniversary Celebration, a family-friendly concert featuring four selections including a world premiere. The concert will take place at The Ames Center in Burnsville in February 2016.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Julie Andersen: Eagan Art House Executive Director; Jill Anfang: Roseville Parks and Recreation Program Director; Bethany Brunsell: Music teacher and performer; Shelly Chamberlain: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Operations Director; Marisol Chiclana-Ayla: Artist, Board Chair El Arco Iris; Anthony Galloway: Actor, storyteller, West Metro Education Program; Jamil Jude: Theatre artist; Tricia Khutoretsky: Public Functionary Curator and Co-Director; Peter Leggett: Walker West Music Academy Executive Director; Dayna Martinez: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts; Coleen McLaughlin: Arts Midwest Director of External Relations; Tom Moffatt: Silverwood Park Supervisor; Kathy Mouacheupao: Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation Cultural Corridor Coordinator; Adam Napoli-Rangel: Artist; Heather Rutledge: ArtReach Saint Croix Executive Director; Andrea Sjogren: Hopkins Public Schools Youth Programs Coordinator; Dameun Strange: Composer and performer; Melissa Wright: Twin Cities Public Television.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Anna Buchholz: Audience development, artistic, Community Education; Josh LaGrave: Artistic, fundraising, organizational development; Christine Shyne: General management, audience development, youth programming; Scott Swanson: General management, artistic, finance; Mary Beth King: Artistic, organizational development, general management; Hannah Rosholt: Artistic; Joanna Cortright: Education, Community Education, artistic; Peter Carlson: Artistic, general management, volunteerism; Donna Lindsay-Goodwin: General management, fundraising, audience development.
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
Yes
Conflict of Interest Contact
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Amy Crawford (651) 523-6390
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2015 Special Session, chapter 2, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$5,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$12,350
Direct expenses
$17,350
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.00
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

640 audience members came to hear our performance celebrating our 30th year anniversary which was performed by 40 singers from Dakota Valley Symphony, 170 youth singers from Lakeville North High School and Lakeville South High Schools, 60 instrumentalists and a soloist. We would like to show how art is a unifier where every person, whether performing or listening, can appreciate the feeling of music. The Dakota Valley Symphony evaluates the success of a concert artistically by the judgment of the Music Directors and the feedback of audience members and performers. Financial success will be determined in part by concert attendance and whether our budget goals are attained.

Measurable Outcome(s)

Our artistic goals were to: 1) Present a variety of repertoire of different genre and periods, 2) Offer the audience, performers, students, parents and families the powerful experience of a live performance of provocative choral and orchestral music, 3) Provide an opportunity for young singers to perform with a community orchestra. We were able to achieve all of these goals during this concert. The repertoire was indeed from different genres and periods. Our performance included a piece from 1840, a piece from 1925, a piece from 1974 and a world premiere of a piece written by one of our very own performers. The audience, performers, students, parents and families all enjoyed this live and powerful performance of choral and orchestral music. This performance included 2 high school orchestras and gave these young singers a chance to perform with a community orchestra. It is always difficult to pull together that many performers together for a concert, but having a new chorus director this year has helped tremendously. The chorus director worked with Lakeville North High School Chorus, Lakeville South Chorus and the Dakota Valley Symphony Chorus while Steve Ramsey was able to focus on the Orchestra. The result was a stunning assembly of performers for this Gala 30th Anniversary Celebration. If we were to repeat a similar concert we may add a few more rehearsals just to pull it together with the Orchestra and Chorus a little more. We had intended to reach out to 660 members of the Dakota County area and were able to achieve an audience of about 550 from all around the South Suburban area of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. We had about 100 less audience members than we had planned on, but from all who attended there were only good reviews. Also, the number of artists was slightly lower than we had intended, but did not make enough of a change to affect the performance. We had intended on 170 youth singers, but ended up having about 140. Also, we had intended on having 40 singers from the Dakota Valley Symphony Chorus and only had about 24. We're not sure why attendance was down for this performance, but we always aim to reach out to as many members of the community as we can. There could always be a little more diversity in the audience and artists. We welcome performers and audience members of all ages, races, cultures, etc. to be involved with our concerts. There is not much we can do to boost the diversity except advertise more in certain areas. Large print programs, being close to the Burnsville Transit Station and a fully accessible facility for those with challenges of movement makes it easier for all members of the community to be part of the Orchestra or Chorus or attend our performances. 550 audience members came to hear our performance celebrating our 30th year anniversary which was performed by 24 singers from Dakota Valley Symphony, 140 youth singers from Lakeville North and Lakeville South High Schools, 62 instrumentalists and a soloist. We were able to show how art is a unifier where every person, whether performing or listening, can appreciate the feeling of music.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
Merry Daher, Shane Fjestad, Jerry Goodrich, Marjorie Heap, Duane Jacobson, Kay Provo, Peggy Sherman, Sean Smith, Matthew Surprenant, Judy Tschumper
Project Manager
First Name
Kasey
Last Name
Meyer
Organization Name
Dakota Valley Symphony
Street Address
PO Box 1241
City
Burnsville
State
MN
Zip Code
55337-2455
Phone
(952) 432-0493
Email
president@dakotavalleysymphony.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

Griggs Midway Building, Suite 304,
540 Fairview Avenue North,
St. Paul, MN 55104

Phone
(651) 539-2650 or toll-free (800) 866-2787
Email the Agency
Location

PO Box 14106
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114 

Phone
Project Manager: Kathy Mouacheupao
651-645-0402
Email the Agency